


thieves at heart

by enkiduu



Category: Ocean's (Movies)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-18
Updated: 2016-12-18
Packaged: 2018-09-09 11:48:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8889583
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/enkiduu/pseuds/enkiduu
Summary: Danny and Rusty. Their names are always said together and Rusty knows that's how it'll always be. They're partners. Not in the way he wants, and he feels bad for wanting more, wanting what Danny can't give. It doesn't change the way Rusty feels, but the way he feels doesn't change the way things are, either. Apparently Rusty's not as good at reading Danny as he thought.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [victoria_p (musesfool)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/musesfool/gifts).



> I hope you enjoy your Yuletide gift! <3 It was tons of fun to write.

The first time they kiss, Rusty doesn't think much about it, because it doesn't mean anything.

They just pulled off a big heist, their biggest one yet. Adrenaline mixed with alcohol sings inside his veins, and the thrill of a well-deserved victory is so damn good. He feels so _alive_ , like they will live forever.

He and Danny share a grin. Together, they can get away with anything.

"His face," Danny says.

"Priceless," Rusty agrees. It was so worth the trouble of the Double Wendy. They should do it again sometime. A little different next time, of course, otherwise there's no novelty. Danny’s all about novelty.

“We should do it again sometime," Danny says.

Rusty laughs and nods, and he thinks this is what it feels like to have the world kneeling down before them. It feels great.

Danny’s always the happiest after they beat a real challenge, eyes alive and glittering more brightly than any stars in the night. They are deep like the ocean—which is very fitting, but Rusty doesn't point it out because that'd be gauche. It's not something that needs to be said.

Seeing Danny like this feels more rewarding than actual diamonds, and Rusty is pretty fond of diamonds.

They enter the hotel room. Rusty definitely does not trip because, hey, he makes a living on being smooth. He's a little surprised by the lack of teasing commentary from Danny. When he turns around and Danny’s locked the door, there's something different in Danny’s gaze.

Danny, Danny's not moving. Not frozen, no, Rusty knows it in his bones that a part of Danny’s always restless, yearning for action. His mind never stops, always dreaming up great new ideas. Ridiculous and seemingly impossible, but they make it work, they always do (except for that one time with the guy in Belize—but that was a fluke).

It's just, it's not an expression Rusty sees from this close. He doesn't process it immediately.

Then Danny tilts his head, and oh. Yeah. Rusty mentally trips a little because he recognizes that intensity. Is he surprised? Maybe a little. Not enough to hesitate. He smirks.

“Well?” Rusty asks playfully. “Don't just stand there, I know what you're thinking. Celebration _is_ in order.”

Danny blinks, then laughs a little indulgently and leans forward. Rusty makes a noise of agreement and kisses back eagerly, with tongue and real heat, because they both love challenges and Rusty knows he's damned good at this.

Then Danny pulls away. Rusty licks his lips. He wants more than just a taste.

“Do I need to get the celebratory champagne?” Danny asks. He sounds a little breathless, probably still running on adrenaline from the heist.

Rusty gives an affected sigh. “You tease,” he accuses.

“Says you,” Danny returns instead of kissing the smirk off Rusty’s lips. “Tell me you got the celebratory champagne.”

“Yeah, I got it. Room service will be up in…” He waves a hand vaguely. “Soon.” It's hard to think.

Danny nods. “Soon. Okay. Good.”

“Good.”

Rusty’s glad he ordered some nachos with that. He's suddenly feeling very hungry.

So they chill, watch a movie, and Rusty doesn't think about their kiss. They don’t talk about it either, which is just fine and dandy. It’s not something that needs to be discussed. What’s a kiss between friends?

  
***

Okay, so, maybe Rusty thinks about their kiss. A little. More than he should, because it still doesn't mean anything.

Do other people also fantasize about kissing their best friends at the most inappropriate times? Not that Danny-and-Rusty are the same as other people, that’s an unfair comparison. Danny-and-Rusty are vastly superior. But Rusty has no explanation as to why he’s thinking of Danny when he’s in the middle of sex of someone who’s definitely not Danny—in fact, he’s not sure what the guy’s name is. He’s the details man, he shouldn’t forget.

A few more annoyed whales and increasingly difficult jobs later, Rusty supposes he should just lead their celebration tonight with a kiss. He obviously wants Danny, if all the dreams are any indication (and oh, they very much are), and Danny’s pretty much always down for a good fuck. Maybe he just thought it'd be weird, that Rusty might be reluctant?

Rusty would make it good for Danny. He knows they'd be fantastic together, like lightning and thunder.

  
***

He doesn't get to the kiss part. They don't get to the celebration part, because instead of champagne and terrible movies there's a fucking knife wound in Danny’s right shoulder and Rusty’s already threatened three people with a viciousness he didn't realize he had.

This is probably Danny’s fault, but they count cards, not who's at fault. He grimaces a bit as he works at Danny’s shoulder gently.

" _Danny_.”

"Okay, okay, I'll stop moving," Danny says easily. "I'm fine, though. You're alive."

Rusty feels an ache in his chest. “I had it,” he says. “And do not shrug,” he reminds before Danny does. “You're already enough of a sliced up sirloin steak.”

Danny grins. “Always thinking about food.”

Rusty musters up a smile.

Danny’s grin falters. “Rusty?”

“I thought you were going to die,” Rusty confesses, heart pounding. He pauses so he doesn't accidentally poke the wound. He's furious, furious and scared and relieved and. Fuck. “I didn't know what you were going to do.” _I don't know what I would do without you._

He wanted lightning and thunder, but he got a shock instead.

“What were you going to do?” Rusty asks when Danny remains silent. Danny always has a plan, one that Rusty understands, but for a moment back there, in this moment right now... “Do you not trust me to do my job?” he asks, feeling cold. Was this about the job?

“No, I trust you,” Danny says immediately, and Rusty regrets the words because now, now Danny looks hurt. “But they were going to hurt you, so I stepped in.”

“They were possibly going to hurt me,” Rusty corrects him. “We bluff and play the cards we’re dealt, and we add a few more cards from up our sleeves. I had it covered. Contingency plans, Danny. You just straight up blew our cover.” _And got yourself cut up, you idiot._

Danny gapes at him, then locks his jaw. He's angry. 

Rusty’s stubborn, but he's not that bad of a friend. His heart cracks a little. “I can't lose you,” he says, and he can't quite meet Danny’s eyes. It's a miracle he's alive.

Danny says nothing.

“Good thing we have plenty of covers,” Rusty adds quickly, because this silence is foreign and heavy. He hates it. “Now let me fix this gauze.”

Danny smiles after a while with a small shake of his head. It's oddly sad.

  
***

They keep working very well after that, as they always have. Just a fluke, Rusty thinks. It's nothing.

But it's not. Something has changed, even if they both pretend nothing has, and it sucks because he's just realized that he's in love with Danny. That comes as… well, no surprise, now that he thinks about it. It makes an astounding amount of sense. People mistake them for a couple all the time.

But Danny doesn't let Rusty touch him as much anymore. He seems to be avoiding those casual shoulder bumps, and Rusty’s afraid to call him out on it because he doesn't want to hear what Danny has to say.

This tension between them is new. Rusty needs to find a way to fix it. He has to believe he can.

  
***

Then Tess happens.

  
***

At first, Rusty thinks it might be because Danny wants to make it clear that he and Rusty are _just friends_ , but if that's his plan, it fucking sucks. Danny doesn’t need Rusty to tell him that.

(That’s just it, Rusty supposes. Danny doesn’t need Rusty the way Rusty _needs_ him.)

Turns out that's not all of Danny’s plan, because his plans are always big and whirl out of control when Rusty’s not there. Danny doesn't just make it clear he's not interested in Rusty—he goes and gets really, really interested in a woman.

He goes and falls in love.

And Danny is so in love that he’s with Tess more than he hangs out Rusty, and Rusty feels sick because he hangs out alone more often than not.

And Danny is so in love that he says he wants to marry her, wants to settle down.

And Rusty… Rusty pretends that doesn't make him ache. He doesn't ask what Danny sees in her, because then he'll know what he can't give Danny, and that's. Well.

That's fine.

(They were supposed to live forever, but Danny says he wants to grow old with her.)

Rusty tries to like her, he does. But he can't win in this.

Danny’s happy with her. Rusty will have to learn to live with that.

  
***

Stupid Incan matrimonial headmasks. 

They're not even worth much.

They're definitely not worth five years of Danny’s life (five years of Rusty’s too, but it's gonna feel a lot longer).

Danny takes the fall for Rusty. He takes the hit. Again.

Rusty fucks up on a schedule check, and here he is, alone in a room.

And there Danny is, in a cell. Out of reach. Caged.

Danny took the fall for him. He has a wife. He's supposed to go lead a boring, normal life (he insisted it was going to be exciting, and Rusty met that with sarcastic quips because that's what was expected of him).

A jail cell is the opposite of exciting, and Rusty—shit. He should've just confessed to everything, then and there. Who was Danny Ocean? Nobody. Just a bystander, newlywed. He had no desire to steal an Incan matrimonial headmask, that'd be ridiculous.

A part of Rusty is guiltily pleased that Danny chose him, he chose him over Tess. That part is bigger than it should be.

He's not a very good best friend, is he? He wants too much. Too selfish and greedy. One more go, Rusty had said, and he'd been willing to keep saying that for the rest of their lives. He'd never have let go of Danny.

One more heist, one more lie, one more unsaid word.

He doesn't think he can see Danny like this. Danny would see through him right away.

 

***

Five years.

Seeing Danny again after five years is pretty much all Rusty’s thought about. Along with that kiss and the hunger that can't be fulfilled.

Danny finds him, even though Rusty knew beforehand that he got out of jail, knew the exact time down to the second.

Danny doesn't let him run, and the moment Rusty sees him, he can't. Can't even tear his gaze away.

There's so _much_ he needs to say. Five years was a lot of time for thinking and planning. He needs to… he needs him. And he's learned a bit about honesty. 

When they reach a room, alone, finally, Rusty can't find the words. He just pulls Danny into a kiss and hopes his apologies and yearning all go through. He holds on to make sure Danny’s really here. He hopes Danny understands. Please.

Danny kisses back, and this time he doesn't pull away.

He understands.

“We should probably talk about this this time,” Rusty breathes. “I had this whole speech planned out. Very—very romantic,” he says.

“Later,” Danny says, and it's a promise, not a dismissal, and yeah, Rusty’s fine with being first on the to-do list.

They're going to be fine. More than fine.

Sure enough, they are electric together. Perfect.

  
***

 And tomorrow morning, Danny says, “One more go?”

“Yeah,” Rusty agrees. “Always.”

Danny’s smile lights up his world.

 


End file.
